The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, and it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me in that moment." In a talk equal parts eloquent and devastating, writer Andrew Solomon takes you to the darkest corners of his mind during the years he battled depression. That led him to an eye-opening journey across the world to interview others with depression — only to discover that, to his surprise, the more he talked, the more people wanted to tell their own stories.

In celebration of Presidents Day, Four Freedoms Park Conservancy (the “Conservancy”) announced today the launch of fdr4freedoms.org, a free educational resource chronicling the life and times of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Compatible with high school and college curricula, the resource complements the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedom Park’s extensive educational and public programming.

Equivalent to more than 400 pages of written text, fdr4freedoms.org constitutes a comprehensive monograph on President Roosevelt’s life and his influence on the most critical events of the 20th century – the Great Depression and World War II. Its features include:

Fifty-two downloadable chapters, each exploring a specific topic related to President Roosevelt ranging from his pivotal New Deal to the historic 1939 Marian Anderson concert to the establishment of the United Nations;

More than 800 primary sources, including archival photographs, newspaper clippings, and audio and video footage;

Short biographies of 80 key historical figures; and

A collection of five-minute originally produced documentaries.

Through its in-depth analysis of national and global events and the availability of primary source materials, fdr4freedoms.org is designed to help teachers and students supplement current curricula and further address Common Core State Standards.

Ambassador William vanden Heuvel, Founder and Chair Emeritus of the Conservancy and of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, said, “Our hope was to make Four Freedoms Park a pioneer example of the use of outdoor public space for major educational purposes. The website does that,” said vanden Heuvel. “It provides a superb history of the Roosevelt era for the thousands who come to the Park each month and it makes this history equally available to the vast online audience interested in the era of the greatest President of the 20th century. The website is an achievement of great significance in the field of education.”

The scholarly advisory board, including Doris Kearns Goodwin, Geoffrey Ward, and Douglas Brinkley, helped oversee the website’s content, which was written by Dr. Allida Black, David Woolner, Katharine Greider, Greg Robinson and Ambassador William vanden Heuvel among other acclaimed Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt historians and scholars.

In addition to being accessible online, the material has been pre-loaded onto 10 Conservancy iPads at the Park, which are available to visitors free of charge so that they can explore the memorial and its historical significance in tandem.

fdr4freedoms.org was made possible by the generous support of its lead donor, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and other donors. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, one of the world’s leading international philanthropic organizations, is also a major donor to Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park.

“The digital content goes a long way towards connecting the younger generations with FDR’s monumental legacy, and provides many additional opportunities to further enhance it,” said Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s Board of Directors.

About the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park is the first memorial dedicated to President Roosevelt in his home state of New York. Located on a triangular four-acre plot at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in the East River, the Park, designed by Louis I. Kahn, includes walkways lined with trees, waterfront promenades, and a portrait bust of President Roosevelt created by artist Jo Davidson. Carved in the ‘Room,’ the Four Freedoms described in Roosevelt’s historic January 6, 1941 State of the Union address: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of worship; freedom from want; and freedom from fear. First announced in 1973 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Mayor John Lindsay, and other visionary urban planners, the monument’s design was the last work of the late Louis I. Kahn, an iconic architect of the 20th century. Dedicated on October 17, 2012, the Park is operated in partnership with New York State by the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy. For more information on FDR Four Freedoms State Park, please visit: www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org.

About the Stavros Niarchos Foundation

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (http://www.SNF.org) is one of the world’s leading international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. The Foundation funds organizations and projects that exhibit strong leadership and sound management and are expected to achieve a broad, lasting and positive social impact. The Foundation also seeks actively to support projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as effective means for serving public welfare.

From 1996 until today, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation has approved grant commitments of $1.57 billion / €1.20 billion, through 2,816 grants to nonprofit organizations in 110 nations around the world.

Ms McAleavy recounts tales by author Charles Dickens (visiting in 1842) and journalist Nelly Bly (1887 10 Days In A Madhouse Investigative Report) of their horrific visits to Roosevelt Island, then named Blackwell's Island.

Ms McAleavy returns to present day Roosevelt Island adding that many current residents, their pets and visitors encounter inexplicable incidents and paranormal activity, perhaps a remnant from the past.

PS/IS 217, a NYCDOE District 2, Pre-K though Grade 8 school located on Roosevelt Island (between Manhattan and Queens) is seeking a maternity leave substitute teacher from mid-February through the end of the school year for a kindergarten class....

The red bus must be available automatically and immediately any and all times the tram elevators are out of service. We should not have to round up people to contact RIOC to get the red bus going. This weekend, with the 63rd Street/Lexington Avenue station elevator out as well, there was no way elderly, parents with strollers, or the disabled could get on and off this rock. Further, when the elevator and lift are out, RIOC must post people on the Manhattan side who are able to assist people who need help on those stairs. If the tram employees or PSD's contract won't allow it, then get other help....

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) provided Red Bus Shuttle service to and from Manhattan

on Friday evening from 4 to 8 PM but not during the President's Day weekend including today.

RIOC announced earlier today that they will provide Roosevelt Island Red Bus Shuttle service to and from Manhattan tomorrow.

According to RIOC:

Notification issued 2/16/2015 at 2:00 PM. Due to an elevator service outage at the Manhattan Tram Station, the RIOC Red Bus will provide special shuttle service to and from Manhattan for those with limited mobility.

From Roosevelt Island to Manhattan: The shuttle will depart from the Roosevelt Island Tram Station at 7:00 AM on February 17, 2015 every thirty minutes. The last shuttle will depart at 8:00 PM

From Manhattan to Roosevelt Island: The shuttle will depart from the southwest corner of 58th Street and 2nd Avenue every thirty minutes beginning at 7:30 AM ON February 17, 2015 The last shuttle will depart at 8:30 PM.

Signs will be posted at shuttle bus stop locations and Tram employees will direct passengers to the shuttle bus stops if necessary.

At least one parent with a stroller managed to make her way to the Manhattan Tram platform without the elevators yesterday afternoon.

The first trip to Manhattan will be at 7:00 AM tomorrow, February 18, 2015 and will run every hour with the last Manhattan bound trip leaving at 8:00 PM. The Manhattan bound bus will leave from the Roosevelt Island Tram Plaza and will make the following additional stops: 546 Main Street; 580 Main Street; Across from I.S. 217.

MANHATTAN TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND:

The first trip from Manhattan, leaving from the S/W corner of 58th Street and 2nd Avenue, will be at 7:30 AM and will run every hour thereafter with the last Roosevelt Island bound trip leaving Manhattan at 8:30 PM. Once on Roosevelt Island, the shuttle will make the following stops: I.S. 217; 579 Main Street (M&D Deli); Good Shepherd Plaza; Riverwalk Bar&Grill; Roosevelt Island Tram Plaza.

To reiterate, the Shuttle Service will continue until one of the elevators at the Manhattan Tram Plaza is back in service. If you have any questions, please call the Public Safety Department at 212-832-4545. Thank you for your patience.

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Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!

Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.